The Christmas Fan Fiction Challenge
by 554Laura
Summary: Stories written for the Bonesology Christmas fan fiction challenge. Santa didn't bring me Bones for Christmas, so I still don't own it...
1. Chapter 1 Mistletoe

"I'm sorry, but it's true, Booth." Brennan reached up to adjust an ornament on the Christmas tree.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I actually have to believe it, and it sure as Hell doesn't mean I have to like it." Booth looked like a naughty child as he pouted on the sofa with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched the lights blinking on the large Christmas tree in their family room for a few seconds before he spoke again. "I think you're just trying to annoy me with all that sciencey mumbo-jumbo about weird Christmas plants."

Brennan rolled her eyes as she sat down next to her husband on the sofa. "I'm not trying to annoy you. However, after reading through the Gospels in the Christian Bible, I can tell you with certainty that there is no mention of Christmas trees, holly, or mistletoe. A lot of the floral decorations that are used by people at Christmas have their roots in pagan superstition."

Booth looked at his wife with surprise. "Since when did you ever read the Gospels? I thought you didn't believe what's written in the Bible."

"I took a class in comparative religions when I was an undergraduate." Brennan shrugged. "I've read parts of many religious texts….The New Testament, the Talmud, The Koran, the writings of St. Augustine, the Buddha and Confucius. That doesn't necessarily mean I believe it, but I understand what I've read."

"Well, I like having a Christmas tree….the bigger, the better, and I don't care if it isn't mentioned in the Bible stories about Christmas." Booth stuck his chin out and glared at her as if he was daring Brennan to argue with him.

"I like Christmas trees, too, Booth, even though the roots of the custom go back to the ancient Nordic peoples and the Druids. Supposedly Martin Luther decided he wanted to bring some of the outdoors inside to brighten his home at Christmas, so he changed the legend surrounding the trees so that the continuous green of the the conifer needles became the symbol of everlasting life." She smiled as she sipped her wine. "Anthropologically speaking, it's quite common for different religious groups to adopt customs from the society they are a part of, and change the meaning of the symbolism to fit their beliefs and tenets. That adaptability is what keeps a religion vibrant." She patted her husband's knee. "Mistletoe was originally revered by the Vikings because in their mythology Baldur was brought back to life by a sprig of mistletoe, and Friga rewarded the man who brought it to her with a kiss. Now Christians and some other groups use it as a symbol of everlasting life also, which is rather ironic since it's a parasitic plant…."

Booth interrupted, "Well, mistletoe may be a symbol of everlasting life, but I kinda like the kissing under the mistletoe tradition, and if I remember correctly, you enjoyed it, too, when you kissed me under the mistletoe in your office a few years ago, right?" He grinned slyly. "I think mistletoe is one of my favorite symbols…." He leaned over and gave his wife a hug. "Too bad I don't have any with me right now...maybe I could get more than just a few kisses." He twitched his eyebrows at her.

"Mistletoe is also used as a symbol of fertility…..hmmph." Brennan's lesson on the various herbs and their usage as Christmas symbols was interrupted by her husband as he kissed her.

"Enough botany for tonight, Bones", he said, kissing her again. "Time for some biology, I think...with or without mistletoe."

Brennan laughed as she snuggled next to Booth. "Some people think mistletoe is an aphrodisiac," she said, kissing him on the cheek, "but I don't think we need it for that, do you?"

Booth enveloped her in his arms. "Definitely not, Bones…..definitely not."


	2. Chapter 2 Hot Chocolate

Booth was walking briskly down the street to the diner. It was a beautiful day for December, but he was preoccupied with his Christmas shopping list, running through it in his mind as he strode along. He'd been to the diner so many times over the years his feet seemed to know where he was going even when he wasn't completely paying attention to his route.

He smiled to himself as he walked along. Keeping his list in his head instead of on paper had prevented his slightly nosy wife from snooping in the quest to find out what she was getting for Christmas. The woman hated surprises, even good ones like Christmas gifts. He flushed slightly as he remembered how she had used her feminine wiles on him last night as she tried to pry information out of him. "It's a good thing I'm trained as a Ranger", he thought to himself, "otherwise she might have broken me." His smile grew wider as he remembered how many wiles she had tried….and how much he had thoroughly enjoyed her efforts.

He continued on his way until he was stopped short by the display in a window across the street from the diner. It was perfect for Bones….exactly what he needed to finish off his list. The only problem was being seen in that store, but he was a brave man who loved his wife, and he'd be willing to do anything for her happiness.

He quietly opened the door of the shop, and told the store clerk what he wanted, all the time looking over his shoulder and aware of his surroundings. His sniper senses were tingling, and he ducked behind a mannequin as he saw his wife strolling down the street to the diner to meet him for lunch. Booth was so intent on his shopping that he'd forgotten that Bones had called and suggested they meet to discuss the case. The clerk met his request to have the merchandise delivered to his office with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile. She assumed someone's secretary was going to have an enjoyable Christmas.

Booth paid for his purchase and rushed to meet his wife for lunch. He was slightly breathless as he sat down at the table.

"Are you okay, Booth? You seem to be somewhat short of breath." Brennan smirked at her husband. She knew he had been shopping, but she didn't know where, and her natural curiosity was getting the better of her.

Booth deployed his special occasion megawatt charm smile. "I'm fine. I just got involved in a paperwork nightmare and it took a while to get out of it. But I'm here now, so let's eat…."

oooooooooo

It was late on Christmas Eve. Hank and Christine were finally in bed asleep, and now it was just the two of them sharing some quiet time together, enjoying each other's company. Booth brought his wife a glass of wine and joined her on the couch. He pointed to the silvery box on the table in front of them and grinned slyly. "I want you to open that package this evening."

"Booth…." Brennan smiled demurely. "It's not Christmas yet. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow morning."

He shook his head slightly as a corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile. "I don't think so….Max might not appreciate this gift as much as I do. I think tonight will be much better. C'mon, Bones...humor me." Booth handed her the box and watched impatiently as his wife carefully unwrapped it. "It's Christmas, Bones…you're supposed to tear off the paper in a hurry!"

"Maybe if I'm careful, we can recycle it….oh...what's this?" She took the lid off the box and found a mug with hearts painted on it, and a box of expensive Dutch cocoa. "Thank you, Booth. I love this kind of cocoa when it's mixed with warm milk...it's perfect with one or two marshmallows floating on top. Maybe if you're nice, I'll share it with you." She leaned over to kiss her husband.

"Wait...did you look under the tissue paper?" He nodded to the box. "I mean, I'm glad you like the cocoa, but…."

Brennan folded back the tissue paper and gasped with pleasure. "Oh, Booth….it's gorgeous…." Under the tissue was a very short baby doll nightgown with a matching thong and negligee. The garments were made of chocolate colored satin and lace, and the bodice was enhanced with strategically placed cream colored embroidery. "It's perfect." She held it up to her chest and beamed as she turned to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I love it! Thank you!"

"I saw that in the shop window and I thought about how great that dark brown color would look on you, you know, with your hair and skin….and when you wear it, it's gonna be like you're a special kind of hot chocolate in that outfit…like the best hot chocolate I've ever had….really sweet and very hot…." Booth grinned happily as he watched his wife run her finger over the intricate embroidery on the bodice. "Maybe you should try it on? You know...make sure it fits?" He twitched an eyebrow at his wife.

"Excellent idea…." She reached over to kiss her husband again. "I suppose you want to see what it looks like on me? Shall I model it for you?"

"Absolutely….I can't wait to see what it looks like. That'll be a nice gift for me tonight, Bones."

Brennan winked at her husband. "I'll meet you in our bedroom in ten minutes….perhaps then we can celebrate Christmas Eve together this evening. What do you think, Booth?"

"Great…ten minutes." Booth laughed to himself as he watched his wife sashay toward their bedroom, wondering if he'd actually be able to wait ten minutes. He breathed out a low whistle as he rose from the couch. "Damn….Merry Christmas to me!"


	3. Chapter 3 Snow

"Bones, what are you doing out here?" Booth had come outside to find his wife and children standing on the patio holding a cardboard box as heavy snow fell all around them.

"Look, Daddy...we're catching snowflakes!" Christine brought the box to show her father. It was lined with black velvet, and there were several snowflakes stuck to the cloth. "Mommy brought a special magnifier home, and we can see the flakes really well. At school we read about a man named Snowflake Bentley who studied snowflakes this way, and Mommy said we could try it."

"Cool!" Booth wore a goofy grin at his joke. "So are you able to see if all of the snowflakes are different?"

Brennan smiled as she shook her head. "It's not actually possible to determine whether all of the flakes are different." She showed him the sketch book that she and Christine had been using. "However, it does appear that there are patterns in the ice crystals based on differences in air temperature and the amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere."

"And it's fun, right, Mommy?" Christine's smile was spread across her rosy face as she looked into the box..

"Yes, it is." Brennan smiled indulgently at her children as she reached down to brush snow from Hank's snowsuit. "I think science is quite enjoyable."

"Well, I'm glad you think it's fun to look at snowflakes, because it seems like we're going to get several inches of snow over the next few days. The roads will be bad, and we may not be able to get out much." Booth brushed the snow out of his hair. "Christine's school is already cancelled for tomorrow and Monday, so she's going to have a very long weekend. Hey, do you need me to take off and stay with the kids?"

"Not unless you want to...I think the museum and lab may be closed due to the weather, but if not, I can take some time off. Of course, it would be nice if you could take day off to spend with us…." Brennan put her arm around her husband's waist and kissed his cheek. 

He grinned. "I'll see what I can do...but for right now….SNOW BALL FIGHT!" With that he launched a small snowball at Christine, and the battle was on.

ooooooooo

Hank and Christine were worn out after an afternoon of playing in the snow. After a bowl of hot soup and a warm bath, they were ready for bed. Brennan checked on them one more time as Booth poured himself a Scotch and a glass of wine for his wife. He handed it to her as she joined him on the sofa.

"I guess the kids are tuckered out….but they sure had fun." Booth took a drink of his Scotch. '"I just hope Christine doesn't get too bored over the next few days since she won't be in school."

Brennan shook her head. "Her teacher put the lesson plans for the class on line, so I'll be able to help Christine keep up, and I'll enhance the lessons with a few science experiments. I'm actually looking forward to spending the next few days at home."

They sat for a few minutes in the darkened living room watching the snowflakes drift by as the fire crackled and popped in the fireplace. It was a very romantic setting. Brennan turned to her husband to get a kiss, and heard him snoring softly.

"Booth!" She poked him in the ribs. "Are you asleep?"

"What? No...I was just thinking...okay, yes, I was asleep. I was thinking about snow, and I sorted of drifted off...get it? Snow...drift...drifting off?"

Brennan rolled her eyes at the corny pun. "Why were you thinking about snow?"

"Well, you know...snowball fights with Jared….being stuck in the elevator with you in the blizzard…making snowmen….Pops…"

"Why would you think of Pops?" Brennan's brow furrowed in confusion.

Booth chuckled as he thought of his grandfather. "Pops had white hair for as long as I knew him. He used to tell Nana that there might be snow on the roof but there was still a fire in the furnace."

"I don't know what that means…."

"Well...Pops could 'crochet' for many years…" Booth saw that his wife was still confused. "Let's just say that Pops made many of the ladies at the retirement home very happy, even when he was well into his eighties."

A smile spread across Brennan's face as she realized what Booth meant. "So Pops had a healthy libido and was sexually active even in his old age? That's excellent news, Booth."

It was Booth's turn to be confused. "Why...what does that have to do with anything…."

"Genetically, you're very similar to your grandfather, so if he was sexually active in his old age, then…."

"Then there's a good chance that I might be active until that age, too." He wore a big grin as he put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Well, I definitely have a fire going in my furnace right now, and you know what they say….use it or lose it…"

"Well, I definitely don't want you to lose 'it', so I will be glad to assist you in using 'it'." Brennan rose from the couch and took hold of her husband's hand. "Come on, Booth...I don't want the fire to go out…."

"You go on to the bedroom. I wanna make sure everything's locked up. I'll be there in a minute.

Brennan smiled happily as she walked into the bedroom, pleased with the thought of Booth's furnace burning brightly for the next forty or fifty years….even when there was snow on his roof.


	4. Chapter 4 Christmas Tree

It was December 23, and the final preparations were ramping up for the Christmas holiday. Everyone in the lab was discussing their plans for the holidays with one obvious exception: Brennan's new intern, Mr. Cing. Brennan noticed that even though he was normally quite talkative, even to the point of being an irritation, when it came to discussing his plans for Christmas he became silent. After ruminating on the issue, Brennan decided that something was wrong, so she broached the subject.

"Mr. Cing, it may not be any of my business, but I've noticed that you're very reticent about your plans for the holiday. Is there a problem?" Brennan turned from the skull she was holding to look at her intern with interest. "I don't mean to pry, but perhaps you would feel better if you discussed it."

Mr. Cing exhaled slowly. "It's only a small problem. I'm sorry...I didn't mean for it to affect my work. I'll correct the situation at once, Dr. Brennan." He quickly picked up the femur and moved it under the scope to examine it more closely.

"I didn't mean to imply that the issue was affecting your work." Brennan smiled slightly. "I was just concerned about you. The holidays can be difficult for some people."

Nodding, Mr. Cing stepped back from the scope, turning to face Brennan. "I am far away from my family in Myanmar. Even though we communicate through email, I haven't spoken to them in many months." He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "My family and I are Christians, so we are discriminated against in our country, which is a cause for concern. My father and mother have both worked very hard to send me to school here in the US, and I have done my best to succeed. I've tried to brave, but….", his voice faltered a little bit. He tried to pull in his trembling lip as he spoke again. "I find that it is hard to have no family with which to share Christmas. My church has services, but I have no family here…." He turned back to the femur. "I apologize for my lack of professional behavior. Please allow me to continue my examination of this bone…."

"I will allow you to continue, but only if you promise to come to my house for Christmas dinner." Dr. Brennan was smiling, but it was obvious that she was giving Mr. Cing an order. "We will have many members of our family there, so it will be crowded and noisy, but we will also have plenty to eat. Five pm Christmas Day." Brennan pointed to the femur. "Notice the nick on the femur, Mr. Cing….it looks like the femoral artery was damaged. Most likely our victim bled out."

Mr. Cing nodded and smiled. Dr. Brennan was a most unusual person…..

oooooooooo

"You invited another person to Christmas Dinner? What does that make now….15?" Booth wasn't completely happy with this new development. "One of your interns?"

"Mr. Cing has nowhere to go on Christmas Day, so I'm extending him some hospitality. Isn't that what Christmas is about, Booth?" Brennan trapped Booth in her steely gaze. She knew she was correct about this, and she wasn't going to give in.

"Yes….you're right." Booth grinned at his wife. "Beat me at my own game, didn't you? Okay, no problem. I'll go dig out the card table and the extra chairs. The more, the merrier, I guess."

oooooooooo

The house was full of company when Mr. Cing arrived on Christmas Day. He knocked on the door, timidly waiting for someone to answer. He smiled politely at Dr. Brennan as she opened the door and invited him in. "I'm glad to see you." She took the bottle of wine he offered, and ushered him into the family room. "Everybody….this is Mr. Cing. He's joining us for dinner today."

Mr. Cing smiled shyly as he shook hands with Booth and Max. He waved to everyone else as they welcomed him. He was feeling slightly overwhelmed, so he found a chair in a corner by the Christmas tree and sat down to gather his thoughts.

The Christmas tree was a tall, very full cedar, and it's fragrance filled the room. It was covered with a variety of different ornaments: angels, stars, bells, colored glass balls and strands of lights….Mr. Cing was sure he'd never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. He blushed a little when he realized that his hosts had noticed his fascination with their tree.

"It's a fine tree, isn't?" Booth nodded with satisfaction, proud that he had picked out such a nice tree.

"Yes...it's beautiful….but I don't understand. Why do you hang shiny objects on a tree to celebrate Christmas?" Mr. Cing was confused.

Booth paused for a minute, scratching his head and then turned to Brennan with a shrug. "You're gonna have to tell him, Bones, because I don't really know….."

"It started out as a custom in Germany and Austria, Mr. Cing. Many European cultures revered trees as homes for spirits in the forest and brought parts of trees into their homes to welcome the forest spirits. A German minister named Martin Luther adapted the custom for Christmas. Since many Americans have European ancestry, the Christmas tree custom has spread across the US." Brennan smiled as she looked at the tree. "It's nice to have a tree in the house to bring the outdoors in, and many families have tree ornaments that are handed down through generations."

Mr. Cing nodded. "I think I would like to take this custom to Myanmar, except we have no conifers there." He laughed. "Maybe I can find another kind of tree to use."

"Well, there are several varieties of artificial trees you can use. Perhaps you can ship one to your home." Smiling at her guests, Brennan clapped her hands for the group's attention. "Who's hungry? I suggest we eat…."

oooooooooo

The guests were gone, the kitchen cleaned up, and the children were in bed. Brennan was sitting next to Booth, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her as they enjoyed the well lit Christmas tree.

"Thanks for making Mr. Cing feel so welcome, Booth. I know I should've consulted you before I asked him, but he seemed so lonely."

"Nah, Bones….you did the right thing, opening our home to him. He seems to be almost normal, considering he's a squint, and it was interesting to hear him tell us about his country. It's amazing to think what he's been through just to come here."

"I know. He hopes the rest of his family can join him soon. That would be nice for him, I think." Brennan gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Booth."

Booth stroked his wife's shoulder as he kissed the top of her head, thankful for her generous heart. "Merry Christmas to you, too, Bones. I love you."

 _A/N: THE AREA WHERE I LIVE HAS MANY RELIGIOUS REFUGEES FROM MYANMAR. THEY HELPED INSPIRE THIS STORY._


	5. Chapter 5 Angel

"Booth, did you see this note that Christine brought home from her Sunday school class?" Brennan handed her husband a piece of paper.

"You mean the one about the Christmas Pageant? I glanced at it. Why?" Booth looked up from his puzzle and shrugged. "I guess Christine's gonna be a donkey or a cow, right? Or maybe a shepherdess?"

"No...Sister Mary Agnes wants Christine to be one of the Angels that speaks to the shepherds in the fields. She has to memorize some lines. Here...look." The note contained the section from the Gospel of Luke that Christine was supposed to recite.

 _Do not be afraid. I bring you glad tidings of great joy, for unto you is born this day a Savior, Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you: You will find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger._

Booth let out a low whistle. "Wow. Our daughter's first speaking part. I guess I better help her memorize her lines. Maybe we can practice back and forth on the way to school."

"That should work. Christine is very intelligent so she should have no trouble with memorization. It seems I also have to help her with a costume. What do angels wear, Booth?"

"How should I know?" He folded up his newspaper and grinned. "It's not like I ever saw one….unless I can count how you looked last night when you got out of the shower….." He twitched his eyebrows at his wife.

Brennan pretended to be annoyed. "I don't think Sister Mary Agnes would approve of Christine being a nude angel, Booth.", she answered primly, smirking as she sorted through her papers. "I've seen various depictions of angels in works of art, but I wasn't sure if your church had a sanctioned style of angel."

"Well, mostly they're pictured in white dresses with feathery wings and shiny halos. Maybe an old white sheet wrapped around Christine would work. I don't think it has to be elaborate. I guess you could call Sister Mary Agnes and see what she says…."

"I'm sure I can figure something out, Booth. I'll do some research, but we need the costume by next weekend. You'd better get Christine started on memorizing her lines." 

"Yeah, you're right." Booth rose from his chair. "Christine...we need to leave for school, Sweetheart. Get your backpack, okay?"

oooooooooo

"Mommy….I don't want to wear a white dress. White's boring." Christine lower lip was stuck out in a bit of a pout as she stubbornly stuck out her chin. "I want to be a pink angel with rainbow colored wings and a princess crown."

Brennan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Christine, I called Sister Mary Agnes, and she requested that you wear a white dress. It will only be for a few minutes. I realize pink is your favorite color…"

Tears started to well up in Christine's eyes. "Why do angels wear white dresses? Is it like a uniform? I think God should let them wear whatever color they want, like pink or the colors of the rainbow."

"I don't know what color angels wear, Christine." Brennan didn't even believe in angels, but she knew that Booth did, and she wanted him to be happy with Christine's angel costume. "However, we need to comply with what Sister Mary Agnes has requested. All the angels will be wearing white."

"Mommy….", Christine began, trying to plead her case again.

"Enough...no more discussion. Go play." Brennan sighed as she watched Christine trudge away. It was hard being the parent of an aspiring actress.

ooooooooo

The evening of the pageant finally arrived. Christine wasn't dressed in her white angel outfit, and her body language made it clear that she was not pleased at the prospect of wearing it. Her father decided it was time to have a little chat about her attitude.

"Christine, Mommy and I are very disappointed with how you're behaving. It's an honor to get to be the Herald Angel. Sister Mary Agnes wouldn't have chosen you if she didn't think you'd be good at it…"

"But Daddy…." Christine stood with her arms across her chest and her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Booth struggled to keep from laughing out loud at his little Brennan doppleganger. "I don't like my costume. It's boring."

"Christine, Mommy spent a long time making your costume because you told Sister Mary Agnes you'd like to be the Herald Angel. You can't quit now just because you don't like your costume. A lot of people are depending on you to do your part. So no more arguing. Go get dressed." Booth's tone of voice was enough to convince Christine that she needed to do as she was told. She grabbed her costume, sighed with a dramatic shudder, and stormed off to her bedroom to change clothes.

oooooooooo

Booth bounced Hank on his lap as he sat in the seats close to the parish hall stage. Bones had taken Christine to her Sunday school room, and soon joined him. "I'm glad I didn't have to make those angel wings. They appear to be difficult to construct." She took the baby from her husband as he got his phone ready to record the program. "Booth, what was in the tote bag that Christine had with her?

"Oh...it was her shoes….she wanted to change into her white shoes when she got here so they wouldn't get dirty. Shhhh…"They're getting ready to start."

The pageant was presented by the younger Sunday school classes while the older children sang or helped herd the youngest participants. Things proceeded as they usually do in a Sunday school pageant. Mary and Joseph found the inn and Baby Jesus was born. It was finally time for the Herald Angels to appear.

Numerous small shepherds and smaller sheep milled around aimlessly on the 'hills' around Bethlehem until the Herald Angels ran onto the stage. Christine pushed her way to the front of the crowd of shepherds and angels to begin her speech. The audience giggled as Booth and Brennan groaned. Christine had taped several different colors of shiny Christmas garland to her dress, and she was wearing at least ten long strands of multicolored plastic beads. Instead of a halo she was wearing a princess tiara, and she had several colorful bangle bracelets on each arm which clanked together as she gestured while she made her announcement. When she finished delivering the Good News, she took her bow and ran off stage, leaving some very surprised shepherds and sheep in her wake.

oooooooooooo

"Sister Mary Agnes wasn't annoyed with Christine's costume alterations, was she, Booth?" Brennan handed him a glass of Scotch and sat down next to him. She sipped her wine and grinned. "I thought Christine looked wonderful!"

"Sister Mary Agnes laughed so hard about Christine's costume that tears were running down her face, Bones. She said the Herald Angels should look special, and she appreciates Christine's imagination." Booth shook his head slightly. "Sister Mary Agnes is definitely different than the nuns I grew up with...she's not scary at all."

"Perhaps that's because you're an adult now." Brennan snuggled close to her husband.

"Maybe." Booth smiled as he wrapped his arm around his wife. "I guess Christine inherited your imagination, right?"

"I don't know, Booth...you can be most imaginative….remember that game we played last night?" Brennan winked at her husband. "What did you call it? Devil or Angel?"

"Yeah." He grinned and winked at his wife as he turned off the lights. "Time for round two….."


	6. Chapter 6 Pie

A/N: I know we don't know when Brennan's birthday is, but it fit with the flow of the story.

Booth shuffled slowly into the diner, shaking off the rain as he glanced at his phone. 8:00 pm...lunch had been a long time ago, and dinner had been a cup of ramen noodles from his stash in the break room. He could eat all the ramen he wanted now since Bones wasn't around to nag him about his sodium intake, but he didn't really enjoy it as much anymore. He wasn't anxious to go back to his empty apartment, so he'd taken a detour for some pie and coffee before going home for the night.

Booth hated this time of year...Christmas and New Year's were over, and now they were in the late January stretch of wet and gloomy winter weather. He smiled faintly. The recent holidays had been a lot of fun. He and Hannah had spent the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve together, relaxing and enjoying each other's company….but that seemed like ages ago….

He pulled himself up on a stool at the counter and waved to Ellie. She brought his coffee as he opened his paper to the sports page. "I'm afraid we're out of apple pie tonight, Agent Booth… How about some cherry or peach for a change?"

Dammit...what else could go wrong? .Booth sighed as he realized what he really wanted was to go home and curl up with a bottle of Scotch, but after the massive meltdown two weeks ago, that wasn't gonna happen. He had been so drunk the evening he broke up with Hannah that Bones had to come rescue him and help him get home. God, how embarrassing was that? He was so thoroughly wasted that he couldn't even find his goddamn feet to take off his own goddamn shoes. She'd had to undress him and get him ready for bed...for years he had dreamed of that...dreamed of her unbuttoning his shirt as she kissed him and caressed him….at one time he had wanted that so badly, and now things were so screwed up….

"Yeah, what the hell...let's live a little. Give me a slice of cherry pie a la mode." He tried to read his paper again, feeling slightly sorry for himself. "Face it, Booth", he thought to himself, shaking his head. "Your life is just one big pile of shit."

He heard the diner doorbell chime but didn't think much of it as he read the article about the Flyers/Capitals game. Then he heard her voice.

"I'd like a piece of pecan pie, please. Could you warm it up slightly in the microwave, and put a small scoop of vanilla ice cream beside it? Thank you."

"Sure thing, Dr. Brennan." Ellie bustled around to get the order ready.

Booth looked down the counter to where Bones was sitting. She was checking her messages on her phone and hadn't noticed him yet. Christ, she was gorgeous...luminous skin, silky hair, clear blue eyes….regret flooded Booth's heart again. Why didn't things work out between them? Now that Hannah had left, would he get another chance with Bones? Would Bones even consider it?

Ellie brought Booth his pie and turned to deliver Brennan's pie to her. Brennan nodded and smiled when she noticed Booth, but she stayed where she was, not wanting to disturb him.

"Hiya, Bones….care to join me?" Booth nodded to the empty stool next to him.

"I don't want to bother you. I realize you may prefer to be alone as you heal from your break up with Hannah." She concentrated on eating her pie and avoided eye contact with him.

"Trust me...you won't bother me. You could never bother me. C'mon, Bones…."

She gave a small nod in agreement and moved to sit next to Booth. "I see you're making some drastic changes in your life." She pointed to his plate.

"What?...oh, the cherry pie. Yeah, well, they were out of apple. I guess I was just hungry for something sweet. You were right….ramen noodles don't make a very good dinner." He waved his fork at her plate. "I thought you didn't like pie."

"I don't like cooked fruit pies because the fruit is mushy and too sweet." She took another bite. "But Sully introduced me to pecan pie, and I'm very glad he did. I love it."

Sully…great. Just what Booth did not want to talk about….the guys Bones used to date.

"Did I tell you that Sully sent me an email yesterday, Booth? He and his wife are expecting their second child."

"Oh...well, good for them." Booth motioned for Ellie to heat up his coffee. "So isn't it kinda strange for you to be here at the diner this late? Normally you go to the Founding Fathers for drinks after work, right?"

"Well, I wanted pecan pie. Today's my birthday, and I wanted to give myself a treat."

"Oh, Jesus, Bones….I forgot all about that. I'm sorry….hey, let me buy your pie for you…"

"Thank you, but that's not necessary. I wouldn't expect you to remember my birthday with everything that's happened the last few weeks." Brennan scooped up the last bite of pie. "I'm sorry about Hannah, Booth…."

"Hey, thanks, but it's gonna be okay. Things didn't work out like I expected, but, you know….I'll move on. I'll adapt."

Brennan nodded. "I know you'll be able to adapt…." She gave Booth a small smile. "After all, you were able to eat a different kind of pie than normal this evening."

Booth grinned back. "I know….right? If I can handle cherry pie, I can handle anything. Hey, want some more coffee? How about another piece of pie?" He gave her a teasing nudge. "Live it up on your birthday, right?"

"No, thank you, Booth. I'm going to go home. I have to be at the lab early tomorrow." Brennan slid off the bar stool and picked up her coat and bag. She paused and smiled shyly. "I'm glad I got to share my birthday pie with you."

"Yeah….I've missed talking to you, Bones. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Booth helped her with her coat. "Maybe we can do lunch."

"Perhaps." They walked out of the diner and stood on the sidewalk, awkwardly trying to make small talk as Brennan flagged down a taxi. "Good night, Booth."

"Good night." Booth watched Bones leave in the cab, thinking of everything he had desperately wanted to say to her, before jamming his hands in his pants pockets and slowly walking away.


	7. Chapter 7 Frost

It was late when Brennan awoke and realized Booth wasn't beside her in bed. Unfortunately, it wasn't an uncommon occurrence...he often had trouble sleeping. Noticing the light coming from the family room she soon found her husband asleep in his favorite chair with a box of old photographs on his lap. She patted his shoulder softly so she wouldn't startle him.

"Booth?...come to bed."

He groaned as he stretched and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry...I guess I fell asleep looking at these old pictures. What time is it?"

"One AM." Brennan picked up a picture that had fallen on the floor. "Is this Pops and Nana?" The photograph showed a young man in an Army uniform was standing next to a pretty young woman.

"Yeah….that was their wedding picture. Did I ever tell you the story about their wedding?"

Brennan shook her head as she handed the picture to Booth. "I don't think so. I'd like to hear it." She sat on the arm of the chair next to him.

Booth shifted in his seat to give his wife more room. "Well, Nana was a shop girl in Philly...her parents had died and she was living with her aunt. She worked at the Woolworth's lunch counter down the street from where Pops' parents lived. Pops went to see her for lunch every day until he got called up and was sent to Korea." Booth paused to look through the pictures. "Here's his Army portrait." The picture was of a young man in a dress uniform wearing a cocky grin.

"I can see the family resemblance. Pops was a handsome man." Brennan smiled at her husband. "You look a lot like him."

"That's what Nana always said. Anyway, Pops got leave to come home for a week between Christmas and New Year's so he hatched a plan. He went to Nana's house to take her for a walk, and they ended up at the rectory of St. Anne's Church, where one of Pops' cousins was the priest. Pops' parents and brothers were there waiting for them, and Nana's aunt, too, so Pops said that as long as everybody was there they should just go ahead and get married. So they did….65 years ago today."

Brennan chuckled. "That sounds just like Pops. They were very happy, weren't they?"

"Yep. They made it to 55 years before Nana passed away, and Pops missed her everyday after that." Booth found another picture in the stack. "Here they are cutting their wedding cake. Nana made the same kind of cake for every one of their anniversaries and for Pops' birthdays. It was a yellow layer cake with some sort of fruit filling, and then she'd frost it with this cream cheese icing. I remember that because if we were good, me and Jared could lick the bowl when she was done with the cake. I wish that recipe was still around…." He stifled a yawn. "I guess we'd better go back to bed, huh, Bones."

"I believe so." Bones helped Booth pick up the pictures before giving him a kiss. "It was a very romantic story, Booth. Thanks for telling me about it."

"I'm glad you liked it. Does it put you in the mood for more romance?" He winked at her and grinned.

"Perhaps." She smiled demurely. "What did you have in mind?"

"Allow me to demonstrate…."

oooooooooo

Booth and his kids arrived home from Mass the next Sunday to find the kitchen filled with a delicious aroma. "God...that smells great….it smells like….Bones...it smells like Nana's cake!"

Brennan laughed as her husband and children sniffed like a pack of hungry dogs around the kitchen. "Just a moment, please…." She pulled a beautiful 3 layered cake out of the pantry where she had hidden it. "We can have some cake after lunch."

Booth was dumbfounded. "I don't understand...I mean it's great, but where did you get the recipe? I thought it was gone…."

"After Christine was born, a package came in the mail for me. Pops had sent me your grandmother's recipe collection. I've used several of them but I hadn't really looked at the dessert recipes. After your story the other night, I found the recipe and decided to try it. Yellow cake with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting…."

"Philly cream cheese?" Booth was practically drooling.

"Of course." She laughed as she swatted his hand away from the cake. "I have a bit of the frosting left over if you would like Christine and Hank to help you lick the bowl. After all, you have been very good lately…."

"Good!" Christine ran to get some spoons so they could all help themselves.

oooooooooo

Late that evening Booth sat down next to his wife on the sofa and handed her plate with a piece of cake on it. "I'm so glad you found this recipe….it reminds me of so many good times with my grandparents."

"I have to admit, I have an ulterior motive." Brennan smiled mischievously as she took a bite of cake. "Besides making you happy, that is."

"Really? I thought you made this cake because I liked it." Booth pretended to pout as he scraped some icing off of his plate.

"I did." Brennan laughed at Booth's sad puppy eyes. "But I was also thinking that if your grandparents were married 55 years and they had this cake for every anniversary and for birthdays, maybe it would work for us, too."

Booth laughed out loud as he put his arm around his wife. "Are you saying this cake is a good luck charm? I don't believe it."

"No, of course not...but your Nana loved Pops enough to make his favorite cake, and that kind of love kept their marriage going. I want us to have that kind of long lasting love, too."

"I see." Booth leaned over to kiss a bit of frosting off his wife's face. "Well, we better get busy on that right now." She giggled as he pulled her close. "But I'm aiming for 65 years….."


	8. Chapter 8 Gingerbread

"Whatcha doin', Bones?" Booth walked into the kitchen to find his wife sitting at the counter, engrossed in the article she was reading on her tablet.

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm doing research. Booth, did you know that some people use ginger as an aphrodisiac? Evidently it increases blood circulation, allowing men to have a better erection, and it makes women more sensitive to…."

"Whoa, whoa , whoa….why are we talking about this in the kitchen?" Booth looked around the kitchen. Hank sat playing with his blocks on the kitchen floor. "Christine isn't out here, is she?"

"Christine is playing in her room." Brennan turned to embrace her husband. Seriously, Booth, I don't know why you wouldn't want to talk about erections in the kitchen, since this is where Hank was conceived…."

Booth blushed slightly as he chuckled. "Why are we talking about this at all? If I remember correctly, this problem didn't 'come up' last night, now did it?" Booth grinned has he made parentheses in the air. "And you did seemed really sensitive to ...stuff, even without ginger. Or did you eat some ginger last night?"

"No….and you do remember last night correctly...you were definitely 'up to par'." Brennan chuckled at her own joke. "I was doing research on ginger because I'm planning on making gingerbread houses with Hank and Christine. I was looking for recipes."

"I see...recipes for what? Love potions?" Booth gave his wife a quick kiss. "Why don't you just buy some of those gingerbread house kits that they sell at Priceco? They come with pre-made sections and all the icing and decorations. You just stick them together. Parker and I used to make a house like that every year."

"Booth...do you know how many preservatives that pre-made gingerbread has in it? It's mainly a mixture of sugar and chemicals. I want to make real gingerbread from scratch."

"I don't know, Bones...the sections of the houses have to be thin and rigid...I don't think you're really supposed to eat the houses...they're just fun to put together."

"That's ridiculous, Booth...why make a gingerbread house if we can't eat it?" Brennan shook her head and rolled her eyes as she closed down her tablet. "After I've finished my research, I feel sure that I'll be able to help our children make a beautiful gingerbread house."

Booth's voice rose in volume. "Well, just to be sure, I'm gonna go buy a couple of those kits and put them together. I don't want Parker to be disappointed if he comes over and there's no gingerbread house!"

Brennan was becoming annoyed. "Fine! I accept your challenge! We'll see which one of us can make a better gingerbread house!"

"Fine. You're on. I'm going to Priceco right now!" Booth grabbed his jacket and strode out to the garage, slamming the door behind him.

"FINE!"

oooooooooo

The next Saturday was set aside as the official gingerbread house building day. Brennan had all of her gingerbread sections baked and ready to go. She had used exacting measurements for the size of each section and had brought Booth's level in from the garage to make sure her house had straight walls and a perfectly pitched roof. The icing was mixed and all the decorations were laid out in precise amounts in several small bowls on the counter.

Booth had his pre-made gingerbread sections laid out and ready to go. He was so concerned about winning the competition against his wife he had even read the construction instructions that came with the kit. He laid out his tubes of icing and opened all the small packages of candy that came in the box to have them ready to go.

Christine and Hank were sitting at the counter, trying to figure out what their parents were doing. "Mommy...I thought you said I was going to help you make the gingerbread house. I wanna help. It's no fun to just watch…"

"You can help me decorate the house, okay, Christine?" Brennan smiled at her daughter and then winked at her husband. "Maybe Hank can help Daddy."

"Great...thanks. C'mere, Bruiser...the men are gonna show the women how a house is built, right?" Hank laughed and gurgled as his daddy made funny faces. "Okay, Bones...are you ready? Go!"

After a few hours of 'fun' the teams stood back to admire their handiwork. The soft gingerbread walls on Brennan's house had refused to stand up or stick together no matter how much icing was applied, so instead of a house it looked more like a building collapse. The gingerbread walls of Booth's house were crisp but they had cracked in several places and had to be patched with so much icing that there wasn't enough icing to stick the candy decorations on the roof. Hank and Christine were covered with sticky icing and had eaten more candy decorations than they had put on the houses. Overall, everyone had a great time making gingerbread houses, even if the actual building projects were a failure.

oooooooooo

"Well, Bones...what do you think about building gingerbread houses?" Booth sipped his Scotch and leaned back on the couch, watching as his wife thought about the day's events.

"Evidently I need to do more research, Booth. The gingerbread I made tasted better than the walls that came in the kit, but it wasn't satisfactory building material, was it?"

"Not really...but I guess the point is that the kids had fun trying to help us make the houses, right?"

"I think you're correct, Booth. Maybe next year we can make houses out of other materials...graham crackers, perhaps. However, I am glad I found out so much about ginger. Did you try the gingersnaps I made?"

"Yeah...they were great. I had quite a few, as a matter of fact. Why?" Booth eyed his wife suspiciously.

"I'm conducting an experiment….I want to see if ginger really is an aphrodisiac." Brennan giggled as her husband pulled her close.

"Well, Dr. Brennan….we'd better go collect some data right now…."


	9. Chapter 9 Presents

Booth sat in his favorite chair, slowly sipping his Scotch. In many ways, this was his favorite time of the holiday season. It was 10 pm on Christmas night. The presents had been opened early this morning and the kids were happy with their toys. Bones loved her diamond earrings. They had enjoyed hosting a large group of family members and friends at their house for Christmas dinner. Now the discarded wrapping paper was bagged up and put out with the trash, the dishes were washed and put away, and the house was finally quiet. The kids were asleep, and Bones was in the shower. It was just him and the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree and the quiet darkness of his home.

There had been so many Christmases when the best present would have been peace and quiet, he thought. He remembered being a kid, listening to his dad and mom yell and scream as they argued over some trivial matter on Christmas Eve while he and Jared cowered in their room, waiting for the fight to blow over. His dad was an angry drunk and had beaten his wife and kids. His mom had cried and threatened to leave her family….then they all tried to wear happy faces on Christmas morning...his parents had put on fake smiles as the boys opened their Christmas presents, and then they went right back and continued their loud argument as the boys had tried to play with their new toys...How many times had his dad been drunk on Christmas morning? Booth had lost count….What a relief it had been to move in with Pops and Nana….what a gift to finally have some stability in his home life.

Then there were those Christmases spent in war zones all over the world...Booth shook his head as he remembered those deployments...trying to enjoy the holiday all the time knowing it might be your last, or thinking about the guys who were never gonna celebrate another Christmas...wishing you could be with your family as they celebrated the holiday...missing your home and your family traditions….missing Parker, wondering if he had received the gift that had been sent…trying to remember the special meaning of the day….trying to forget that there was someone just over the hill waiting to try to kill you tomorrow…

Peace and quiet...Booth mused about the Nativity story again...all the pictures showed the birth of Christ to be a blissfully quiet scene with the Holy Family in a peaceful, heavenly glow with the calm animals and shepherds patiently waiting in the background...but he knew from his personal experience with Christine's birth it had been noisy and messy….more like a raucous kindergarten Christmas pageant...but both families had been given a wonderful gift…..a blessing...

"Booth…." Brennan stood in the entry to the family room, dressed in her robe and pajamas. "Why are you sitting here in the dark? Is everything okay?"

He smiled at the best present he'd ever received...his beautiful wife. "Yeah...everything's fine. C'mere a minute." He held out his hand as she came and sat on the arm of his chair. "Hmmm…", he sighed as he nuzzled her neck. "You smell so good, Bones."

Brennan smiled as she stroked her husband's face. "You didn't answer my question...why are you sitting in the dark?" She brushed a tear from his cheek. "Have you been crying, Booth?"

He sniffled a bit. "I guess I was just sitting here thinking about how lucky I am….and I kinda got emotional, you know…."

"Because I caved in and bought you a very large, very shiny jet ski?" Brennan giggled as Booth playfully pretended to push her off the arm of his chair.

"No! I'm trying to be serious here." He grinned as he pulled her onto his lap. "Do you know the old saying …. that Christmas isn't about presents, it's about presence?"

Brennan's brow furrowed. "I don't know what that means….I know those words are homonyms, but I don't understand what you're trying to say…"

Booth put his arms around his wife and pulled her close. "It means that what counts at Christmas isn't the amount of gifts a person receives. What counts are the people who love that person...the people who are always there for that person….like you're always here for me." He smiled gently as he stroked her hair, his eyes shining with tears. "I love you, Bones...without you, I'd be lost….I'd be nothing."

"I love you, too, Booth...I love your presence in my life...the selfless way you care for me..." She gave him a soft kiss. "Come along now, no more sitting in the dark. Time for bed…." She winked slyly. "Maybe you can find one more present in our bedroom tonight…"


	10. Chapter 10 Cookies

Brennan came slowing trudging through the door into the apartment, glad it was Friday evening. She definitely needed the weekend for rest and recuperation. Things at the lab had been rough the past week. Working on three different sets of remains with two brand new interns didn't go well together with being seven months pregnant. She was tired, and the wet, snowy weather had chilled her to the bone. All she wanted was a bowl of hot soup, a hot bath, and a warm bed with Booth lying next to her. She sighed softly and smiled, thinking of how pleasant the evening was going to be…..

"Booth! What are you doing?" Brennan stood in shock as she looked around the kitchen of Booth's small apartment. Bowls, spoons, measuring cups, spilled sugar, and broken egg shells were strewn across the counter. Dishes were piled high in the sink. A fine film of flour seemed to cover every surface. Booth was wearing a tattered old apron over his jeans and tee shirt as he worked on rolling out cookie dough on the granite counter tops. Brennan couldn't help but notice how attractive his shoulders and arms looked as he wielded the rolling pin.

"Oh...hiya, Bones." He looked around the kitchen, slightly embarrassed at the mess he had made. He rubbed the back of his neck as he grinned sheepishly at her. "I decided to bake some sugar cookies like Nana used to make. Don't worry...I'll clean up the mess." He turned as the timer went off, pulling a pan of cookies out of the oven. "I've got a lot of them baked already, so I thought tomorrow we could put the frosting on them. They have to be cool enough that the frosting doesn't melt. I decided to do the hard part today, because I knew you'd be tired from work. Look...I got some cookie cutters at Priceco... an angel, a star, a bell, Santa Claus, and a reindeer." He reached into a plastic bag on the counter. "And sprinkles! and those silver bead thingies...and...oh, yeah, here it is...colored sugar. That stuff goes on the frosting."

Brennan shook her head and laughed. When it came to Christmas traditions, Booth had never met one he didn't like. If he was this excited about Christmas cookies, he was going to be literally bouncing off the walls on Christmas Day…. "Alright, Booth...we'll frost the cookies tomorrow." She moved around the counter to give him a kiss, and realized just how busy he'd been. "How many cookies did you make, Booth?" 

"Well, the recipe makes six dozen, but I doubled it because I thought it would be nice for you to take some to the lab, and I can take some to work with me. People really like these cookies, you know? Nana used to give out tins of cookies at Christmas to the postman and the guys at the gas station, and Pops would take some to work, and everybody loved them." Booth beamed at the happy memory.

"How long is it going to take us to frost all these cookies?" Brennan wasn't really sure she wanted to know….

"A couple of hours….but don't worry…. it's fun. You'll like it, Bones…" He kissed her cheek as the oven timer went off again. "I gotta get this last set cut out and baked, then I'll clear up the mess, and fix us some minestrone, okay?"

"Excellent….I want you to hurry when you clean the kitchen." She arched an eyebrow suggestively. "I have plans for us this evening…"

oooooooooo

It was Saturday morning...time to frost the cookies. Booth had grouped the cookies together by shape, and had mixed and tinted the frosting, putting each color in its own bowl with its own knife. Newspapers were spread over the table, and paper plates were laid out to make cleanup easier. "So here's the way it goes, Bones...Angels are white, Bells are blue, Santa Claus is red, reindeer are brown, and stars are yellow. Then you put the sprinkles on the bells, colored sugar on the angels and stars….."

"Booth...there are rules for frosting the cookies?" Brennan was incredulous. "Why can't angel be blue or yellow? Stars in space can actually be blue, red, yellow, and white…" 

"Wait...no science stuff right now, okay? Can we at least agree that Santa is red and the reindeer are brown?" He gestured to the stacks of unfrosted cookies. "That's easy, right?"

"Can I put sprinkles on the reindeer, Booth? Plain brown is boring.", Brennan whined, glaring at him slightly. "In Lapland, the reindeer wear colorful harnesses, and the people wear colorful clothing. Since Santa Claus has reindeer, he might be a Laplander, so he should have sprinkles, too."

Booth smiled through clenched teeth. Why did he think this would be easy? "Yeah, I suppose that's fine. I bought lots of sprinkles. So we can use these silver thingies for reindeer eyes, I guess...or these chocolate things…." He picked up a knife and a cookie star. "So what you wanna do is get a glob of frosting on the cookie and spread it kinda thin….kinda like drywall mud, see? You spread it over the whole thing, and then you can add sprinkles or whatever….are you really gonna make that angel red, Bones?"

Brennan smiled slyly. "Maybe she's a fallen angel...and she can't wear white like a good angel…" She dabbed a bit of red frosting on the angel and then mixed in some white frosting. "Look...now she's pink…" At that, Brennan took a big bite out of the cookie. "You're right, Booth...these cookies are good."

"Bones! We're supposed to be frosting the cookies, not eating them! Okay, so you know what? Make the cookies whatever color you want and then just sprinkle stuff on them….Let's just get started."

They had gotten through approximately three dozen cookies when Booth decided he was bored. Brennan was concentrating on spreading some yellow icing on a star when he smirked as he dipped his finger into some frosting. "Let's see how this color looks on you, Bones…" Booth reached out and put a small dollop of blue frosting on Brennan's nose. "Very cute!" He leaned over and licked it off.

"Booth...", Brennan scolded, pretending to be annoyed, "you said we were supposed to be working on the cookies." She dipped some frosting from a bowl and spread it on his lower lip. "I guess I better help you clean up this mess…" She smiled as she kissed the frosting off of Booth's mouth.

"Hmmm….how about some here…." Booth put some small dots of frosting on her neck. "I'd better help you wash that off…."

"Booth…" Brennan's voice was breathy and full of heat and desire as she pulled him close and licked off some beads of frosting that she had dabbed along his lower jaw and chin…"I think maybe we should frost the cookies later…"

Booth quickly nodded in agreement as he ushered her toward the bedroom…"I think you're right….you bring the frosting...I'll bring the sprinkles…"


	11. Chapter 11 Carols

"Bones, I've been thinking..." Booth paused, choosing his words carefully. He wasn't sure how Bones was going to react to the next part of his statement. "Maybe we should get a piano." He took a sip of his coffee, avoiding his wife's astonished expression. "I think it'd be fun to have one, you know...maybe Christine and Hank can take piano lessons…."

Brennan sighed as she looked at her husband. He was trying hard to act innocent, as if he'd asked her for something simple like passing the salt. She concentrated on her salad for a minute, shaking her head. First Booth wanted a television in the bedroom, then a motorcycle, and now a piano...what would he think of next? Was this another part of Booth's 'midlife crisis'? Based on the way Angela had described the emotional turmoil that often afflicted men Booth's age, perhaps that was the explanation "What makes you think we should get a piano, Booth?", she asked, hoping she sounded interested instead of impatient.

"I've been thinking about getting one since Pops moved into the retirement center. He was really upset when he had to sell the piano from his house when he moved, but Jared didn't want it, and I couldn't take it since I was living in that small apartment over the liquor store." Booth looked out the diner window as he remembered the conversation he'd had with Pops, and how upset Pops had been. "Pops had bought the piano for Nana a year or two after they were married. It was an upright, and she kept it in the living room on the wall by the stairs. Nana played it a lot when my dad was a boy, until the arthritis in her hands got really bad….but every Christmas, no matter what, after we had dinner, the family and whoever was there visiting would stand around that piano, and she'd play Christmas carols and we'd all sing along….I guess when Pops had to sell the piano it finally hit him that Nana was really gone."

Booth and Brennan sat quietly for a minute or two, eating their lunch, thinking about Pops and how much they missed him. "I actually took piano lessons, Bones…" Booth laughed as he reminisced. "My mom worked writing ad jingles, you know...so we had this rickety old piano in our basement, and she'd play it if she got an idea for a jingle, or if she wanted to practice a song she was learning to sing." He ate a bite of pie before continuing. "I'd pretend to be Liberace, and I'd pound on that piano like I was giving some sort of fancy concert, so she got a teacher for me. Mrs. Hopkins came to the house twice a week for a year or two to try and teach me the right way to play."

Brennan tilted her head to one side as she gazed at her husband. Even after all these years he could still surprise her. "I didn't know you could play the piano, Booth. I've never heard you do so…."

"Yeah, well, the problem is I play about as well as I sing." He made a face like he was choking, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue, causing Brennan to giggle. "Mrs. Hopkins thought I was pretty much hopeless...no talent at all."

"I think you sing very well, Booth…" Brennan reached over to take some of his fries. "Did you enjoy playing the piano?"

"I never got far enough along in my lessons to be able to play anything too complex, but, yeah... I liked it a lot. It's not like I was concert hall material, but I used to be able to play _Fur Elise_ pretty well." Booth stared into his coffee cup. "After my mom left us, my dad sold the piano so I had to quit taking lessons, but when me and Jared went to live with my grandparents, Nana taught me to play Christmas carols so I could keep up the after Christmas dinner tradition." He paused again, remembering how he'd sat on the piano bench with his grandmother as a boy, picking out those familiar melodies. He shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, and failing miserably."That was a long time ago...I've forgotten most of them…."

So that was it. Brennan nodded as she listened to her husband, realizing that Booth really wanted a piano so he could hang on to some happy childhood memories. "I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult for you to learn those songs again, Booth." She watched him for a few seconds as she sipped her tea. "However, if Christine were to take lessons, she'd have to practice daily, and I'm not sure we have time in our present schedule to make sure she does so. Maybe we should start with a smaller electric keyboard, instead, so we can make sure she's interested in playing music."

Booth frowned as he considered the suggestion. It was more practical, but…."It's just not as much fun to gather around an electric keyboard that's propped up on a card table, Bones...but you're right...we really don't have time to make sure Christine practices her piano lessons…."

It was hard for Brennan to listen to the tinge of sadness in Booth's voice as he admitted that she was correct. She decided that they could arrive at a compromise. "However, it might not be a bad idea to get a piano so you could play it when you had time, Booth. Playing music can be very relaxing...perhaps playing the piano could help you relieve some stress. That would be very helpful for your emotional well being."

"Maybe." Booth grinned at his wife. "But listening to me might cause you a lot of stress, Bones...I'm really pretty lousy at it." He waved his hand as if to dismiss the idea. "I guess I was just thinking out loud...I'm not even sure where we'd put a piano in our house…"

"Well, we can think about it, and see if there's a suitable place for a piano in our home. We don't have to go buy one today, correct?" Brennan studied her salad for a minute, smiling coyly. "You may not know this, Booth, but in the past, I've found men with musical ability to be most interesting. Maybe that's why I find you to be so attractive…" She winked at him. "...among other things…"

He twitched his eyebrows at her and grinned. "I can promise you that I'm much better at those 'other things' then I'll ever be at playing the piano….and I don't need a lot of practice, do I?"

Brennan wore a flirty smile. "Personally, I think you should practice every chance you get...as long as I get to help you. Do you think we can arrange a practice session for this evening?"

Booth reached across the table to hold her hand. "Definitely, Bones...we can practice all night long, if you want…and we can make beautiful music together, even without a piano."


	12. Chapter 12 Christmas Movies

It was a rainy Saturday as Booth carried the large plastic box from the garage into the Mighty Hut and set it down down on the kitchen counter.

"What's this?" Brennan pulled off the lid and peeked inside.

"That's the last box of stuff from that storage unit Pops had rented when he moved into the retirement center. This looks like just a bunch of random stuff...books, pictures...things like that." Booth started unpacking the container and laughed. "Even some old reels of home movies. Pops was so proud of his old movie camera...he took movies of Jared and me with it, and then Nana got him a nicer camera that made these little tapes." He dug down to the bottom of the box and pulled a few smaller tapes out of the box to show Brennan. "I think somewhere there was a video of Pops and Nana at their fiftieth wedding anniversary, dancing around the church hall, but I have no idea where that went….it could be in here." He sighed as he moved the box off the counter. Clearing out the last of his grandfather's things was like losing him all over again. "I'll move this into my man cave and go through it later."

Booth picked up the box and carried it back to his hideaway, fully intending to go through it in the near future, but his plans were changed by terrible situations beyond his control. His home was no longer habitable, he was in prison trying to survive being assaulted every day, and the old plastic container was forgotten….another casualty of the siege on the Mighty Hut.

oooooooooo

This was going to be the first Christmas that Booth and Brennan had spent in the new version of the Mighty Hut. Booth had been back from prison for several months, and he was finally beginning to feel comfortable in his new home. However, every so often he'd wake up in the middle of the night and think about how much he missed the original Mighty Hut.

He knew he had been able to save the most important things...his wife and child...but there were some things just couldn't be replaced, like that box of old movies and pictures from Pops' storage unit. "It's stupid to be upset about old things like that", he thought. "I can remember all of that stuff...I don't need those old movies." Still, he was sad that part of his family's history had been lost. "I gotta get over it." He sighed softly as he rolled over and put his arm around his sleeping wife. He had a lot to be thankful for...a wonderful woman who loved him, a beautiful daughter, and a fine son...he didn't need anything else in the world as long as he had them.

oooooooooo

Christmas morning came, and it was time to open the presents. Christine tore the paper off her packages with gusto, and Bones carefully undid the tape and loosened the paper a little bit at a time so she could reuse the paper next year. Booth sat back and happily watched his girls enjoying themselves with their gifts. "Do you like your bracelet, Bones?"

She gave him a brilliant smile as she moved it around her wrist. "It's beautiful, Booth...and I'm looking forward to using my new running shoes, too." She smiled coyly and winked at her husband. "I like my new nightgown, too, but flannel may have been more practical for winter…."

Booth laughed as he shook his head. "No way my wife is ever gonna wear a flannel nightgown in my bed if I have anything to say about it." He was interrupted by his wife handing him gifts. "What's this?" He grinned as he looked at the boxes Brennan handed to him.

"These are your Christmas presents, Booth. Open this one first." The tag read _'To Daddy_ _From Christine'_.

Ripping the paper off, Booth found a small box. "A mini DVD player? Thanks, Christine." He gave his daughter a hug. Booth was pleased but confused. "I guess I can watch my NCIS DVDs on this…"

"Now open this one…." The tag read _'To Dad From Parker.'_

"An Ipad mini….no way Parker could afford this, plus I don't even know how to use this thing…." Booth didn't want to be ungrateful, but he wasn't sure what to think of Parker's gift for him.

Brennan held up her hand to stop his protests. "I assisted Parker with his purchase, but he had actually saved a lot of money for your gift. You'll be able to figure out the Ipad easily, Booth...I can help you and so can Parker when he comes to visit. They're very easy once you get used to them. Now open my gift to you."

"Okay…" Booth balanced the large box on his lap and ripped the paper from the box. Opening it he found several DVDs in plastic cases. "What are these, Bones?" He picked up one of the cases and looked at the label. "No way….really? All those old movies from Pops…"

Brennan blinked back tears as she sat next to Booth on the sofa. "When you were in prison, I went to move things from the old house to this house, and I found this box in what used to be your man cave. The plastic box was slightly melted, but it seemed to protect the contents from too much damage." She smiled as she watched Booth look through the DVDs. "I had a lot of time at night while you were gone…so I watched the old movies and decided which parts went well together. I had the movies and some of the old pictures copied to DVDs...which is why you received the mini DVD player from Christine. You can watch the movies on that player or on the big screen TV. I also arranged for video and picture storage on the 'cloud'." She opened a program on the Ipad. "You can access your account and watch the old movies on your Ipad as well."

"Bones….God...this is just...it's amazing….all of those old movies...I thought they were lost."

"Look at this, Booth." Brennan used the Ipad to access Booth's picture storage account on the cloud, clicking on a file named _Christine._ "I remembered how upset you were when you lost that time with Christine while I was gone, so I took some pictures of her every day while you were in prison and converted them into a video." Images of Booth's daughter flowed across the screen. "Rebecca did the same thing with Parker." Booth clicked on Parker's file and images of a boy with a Boothy grin popped up. "The good thing about the cloud is you can upload pictures from your phone anywhere you happen to be, so you can add more pictures whenever you want."

"Bones, I honestly don't know what to say...I have no words…" Booth sat holding the precious box of memories, looking at the years on the labels. "Seriously?….Pops and Nana…" He took the DVD out of the case and slipped it into the DVD player, pressing play.

" _Well, Honeybunch, you look as pretty today as you did when I married you fifty years ago." Hank Booth grinned as he waltzed with his wife around the parish hall._

" _I think we need to get your eyes checked, you old coot. I'm an old lady, but you're still a handsome man." Margaret Booth kissed her husband on the cheek and smiled back at him as they took another spin._

 _The camera panned across the crowd….Booth, Jared, Booth's dad….all smiling and waving as the happy couple danced together to celebrate their fifty years together._

"Bones….thank you so much. Thanks for all the thought you put into this, and all the time...I love my gift almost as much as I love you." He pulled her close for a kiss.

Brennan smiled back, pleased that she'd made her husband so happy. "I'm glad you liked your gift, Booth. Merry Christmas."

 _A/N: and so ends my part of the Christmas challenge. Thanks for reading and reviewing my little stories._


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